MIAMI, United States. – The elected president of the United States, donald trumpintends to appoint Cuban-American senator Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state, according to sources cited by the Reuters agency and confirmed by The New York Times.
Although neither party has officially confirmed the appointment and some media warn that the decision is not final, Rubio could become the first Latino at the head of US diplomacy.
Rubio, 53 years old and senator from Florida since 2010, is the son of Cuban immigrants and has stood out in the Senate for his firm positions on foreign policy. He has taken tough stances against China and Iran and has backed sanctions against the regimes of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Currently, he is vice chairman of the Select Committee on Foreign Intelligence and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In an interview after Trump’s election victory, Rubio told CNN: “The world is changing rapidly. The adversaries are coming together… It’s going to require us to be very pragmatic and wise in how we invest abroad and what we do.”
The president-elect has also designated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as future ambassador to the UN and has offered the position of National Security Advisor to Florida Congressman Mike Waltz. With these appointments, the main foreign policy positions would be complete with the possible incorporation of Rubio.
Although Rubio and Trump clashed in the 2016 Republican primaries, calling each other derogatory nicknames, tensions appear to have dissipated. Rubio has been campaigning alongside Trump, especially at events aimed at Latino voters.
If his appointment is confirmed, Rubio would assume the position in a complex international context. Among its challenges would be facilitating negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict. “I am not on the side of Russia, but unfortunately the reality is that the war in Ukraine is going to end with a negotiated agreement,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC. “I want Ukraine to have more strength in that negotiation.”
Catholic and opposed to abortion even in cases of incest or rape – he allows exceptions only if the mother’s life is in danger – Rubio would be on the verge of becoming the highest-ranking Cuban-American in a US administration.
